Ancient India. Approximately 7 thousand years ago. The Kingdom of Kosala.
A dutiful crown prince exiled from his kingdom for fourteen years. A loving wife who follows him, and is captured. A demon king who threatens the entire mortal population of t...
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Ten whole years. Ten whole years. No one spoke as breakfast happened, emotionless faces and spoons moving mechanically to mouths and then back to bowls. It was silent. No one dared to break it. Those who were there remembered how Ram, Sita, and Lakshman had walked into the throne room at the break of dawn, and departed, taking Ayodhya's happiness with them. And those who were not wished that they were.
Kaikeyi looked up from her food, her eyes darting between all of the family. Shatrughan was picking at his food uncharacteristically as Shrutakirti watched, but did not intervene. Bharat had his head in his hands, managing a weak smile as Mandavi told her best jokes. Urmila continued to eat, not seeming to have noticed the change in the family. Sumitra was watching Urmila with a sad sort of thing in her eyes. And Kaushalya was looking right back at her.
Kaikeyi set her spoon down, and scooted her chair back so that it squealed a horrid and most annoying sound against the ground. Everyone's heads darted up as she crossed her arms and looked with narrowed eyes down at them. "Look," she began angrily. "I know. It was my fault. I've accepted it! It's been ten years, and you all are mourning. Haven't we done enough of that? Why aren't we sharing stories? Remembering the two-three, I mean? Why are we busy eating, not even that really, when we could be reminiscing?"
Shatrughan stood up, nodding and Shrutakirti along with him. "Ten years! It's a long time!" he cried. "We should be laughing together about the "olden days", and remembering them, but instead, all we are doing is sitting here getting older and wearier by the second! Come on! It isn't like they're dead or anything! The world needs to smile more, and I think you all are contributing to half of its sorrows! Let's, instead of remembering the bad days, recall the good ones, that we spent with Ram bhaiyya and Sita bhabhi." he turned towards Shrutakirti, and she smiled back at him, encouraging his newfound energy and excitement.
Clearing her throat, Urmila got up from her chair, bringing Sumitra along with her and clutching her tightly along the arm. "It is said that memories bring back a form of the person that we remember that one would not have otherwise found." Sumitra uttered, her first wise words in days. "We should try to bring them back in all the ways possible, even if not physically! We should think of the times that we spent with them, instead of the ones that we didn't."
Bharat and Mandavi looked at each other. Mandavi stood up. "Look, it's no use feeling guilty, for all the guilt in the world and more would not bring them back, now would it? It has been ten years of you just trying and trying to do just that. I've had enough. Perhaps it shall be laughter and memories that bring them back instead of your guilt and overwhelming sorrow. Come on, get up." She lifted him up by the shoulder and patted his arm, and Bharat smiled weakly at her.
Now all that was left was Kaushalya, who leaned back in her chair, before she took a sip of water. "You know," she began in her heavy voice. "I disagree." The family went silent. "It was not your fault, Kaikeyi. You need not say that. Let us do just as you suggested. We should not cry any longer." Kaikeyi lifted her up by the arm, and leaving their steadily cooling breakfasts behind, the royal family of Kosala ventured towards the Throne Room.
